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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — thin
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. charge — electricity
  17. last — final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. craft — a skill
  20. date — the fruit
  21. last — finally
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. last — to go on
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com